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HomeExpert opinionsKazakhstan and the OECD: prospects for cooperation in the field of Education and Science (Message of the President of Kazakhstan - 2014)

Kazakhstan and the OECD: prospects for cooperation in the field of Education and Science (Message of the President of Kazakhstan - 2014)

With the new year of 2014, Kazakhstan intends to join the committee of competition of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

In the
modern era of intensive integration and modernization processes, each country
tries to adapt, to find their way of development in the modern world. Our state
is also develops new technologies, participates in the activities of
international organizations and makes significant progress in the field of
foreign policy and economic relations. Moreover, it should be noted that in
2010 Kazakhstan chaired the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE), and the period from June 2011 to June 2012 marked the chairmanship at
the 38th Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States (COM) OIC.

With the
new year of 2014, Kazakhstan intends to join the committee of competition of
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In the “Message to
the Nation 2014", the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A.
Nazarbayev said that the fundamentals of development are being demonstrated by
the participating States of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD).

The organization itself was
formed in 1948 with the aim to coordinate the economic reforms in Europe under
the Marshall Plan. It was originally called the Organization for European
Economic Cooperation. Declaration was adopted in 1978, but today its provisions
sounds very important for both OECD countries and for such countries that have
taken a course to join the club of developed countries of the European
community. Now it includes 34 countries that produce more than 60 % of world
GDP. The president says: “All the participating countries have gone through
deep modernization; they have high rates of investment, scientific research,
productivity, business development, standards of living. Indicators of OECD
countries with regard to their future long-term dynamics, this is the basic
guidelines of our way among the 30 developed nations of the world "[1].

In 2011,
Kazakhstan applied for observer status in the four committees of the Council of
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), including the
Committee on Education. A year earlier, for the first time, Kazakhstan took
part in the International Program for evaluation of educational achievements of
15-year-old students PISA- 2009, which allowed us to estimate the knowledge and
skills of students of 200 educational institutions. The analysis of the results
of Kazakhstan in international comparative studies gives the perspective to work
in such areas as the transition to the new standards of education and creation
of a national system for monitoring the quality of education. These topics are
among the priority areas of education policy, enshrined in the State Program of
Education Development of Kazakhstan for 2011-2020.

The key
message of the OECD Declaration on the future policy in the field of education
is that in a rapidly changing social and economic context, all of the components
of the education system (national standards, teachers, schools, etc.) must be
"tuned" to the willingness to accept the changes and become active
promoters of innovation. The Constant Development, Empowerment and Equality for
the disadvantaged groups of people, cooperation of all stakeholders, these are
the three main value props that reflects the spirit of the Declaration. [2]
Despite the fact that enough time has elapsed from the date of adoption of this
document, we can say that its provisions that a few decades ago sounded as a
treatment to the future, today became the basis for the development of
educational policy in the countries that seeks to create a competitive economy
and a sustainable society .

If we talk about the prospects
of participation of Kazakhstan in international comparative assessment studies,
then you can say the following: we embarked on this path, and it is one of the
most important outcomes of education policy, which is deliberately pursued by
the Government of the country in recent years. These measures are aimed at
implementation in Kazakhstan of internationally recognized standards of public
administration.

This
policy is enshrined in the "State Program of Education Development in the
Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011-2020", which is the basic document that
defines the political and conceptual frameworks for the development of
education in the country in the long term. In particular, it is expected that
Kazakhstan will participate (along with the already known PISA and TIMSS) in
international studies such as: PIRLS - assessment of the level and quality of
reading and understanding the text by the primary school pupils; TIMSS-ADVANCED
– the evaluation of mathematical and scientific literacy (Physics) of the
pupils of 11 classes with an intensive study of these subjects; ICILS – the evaluation
of computer and information literacy of students of 8th classes. In
addition, it should be noted that the countries included in the OECD
organization, usually have the recommendations to join the various thematic and
evaluative monitoring studies. In the field of education it is very important for
the OECD to participate (along with PISA) in the "International Assessment
Program of Adult Competencies” - PIAAC) and a joint study of the OECD and
UNESCO "Teachers for the future of schools/Analysis of the World Education
Indicators” [2]. Perhaps Kazakhstan will receive an invitation and it will be
another opportunity for reflection and further development of the education
system of our country within a broad international perspective.

Thus,
our President N.A. Nazarbayev has firmly stated its intention to implement some
of the OECD standards in Kazakhstan. In his Message in 2014, he says, "I
have set the task to implement in Kazakhstan some of the OECD standards, they
will be reflected in the concept (Kazakhstan's joining the top 30 developed
countries)" [1].

In addition, according to the
President, "the creation of new high-tech industries will require
increased funding of science with not less than 3% of GDP.

In
general, the creation of knowledge-based economy is, above all, an increase of the
potential of Kazakhstan science. In this area, we should improve the
legislation on venture financing, intellectual property protection, support
research and innovation, as well as commercialization of research.

In order to implement the
further plans, the President of Kazakhstan N.A Nazarbayev instructed the
Government to create and submit to the Parliament, before September 1 of the
current year, a package of relevant bills. The leader of nation noted that
there should be a specific plan to gradually increase the funding for specific
development of science and discovery, working on the country and bring it to
the level of indicators of developed countries.

In the end, it should be noted that the implementation of
these directions and plans, especially in the field of education and science,
must take into account the safety and future of our state. In order to do this,
you should always be aware that our state should adopt those innovative ideas
and technological advances that we will be able to develop in the future and transform
into a progressive areas. Therefore, building any plans or projects for the
future cannot be entirely copied from the intensive technologies of the Western
economic model. Here, first, you should pay attention to the development of
some developed countries of the East, particularly in South and Southeast Asia.
For example, Japan or Korea. These countries, despite the many internal political
and economic difficulties, were not only able to adapt to the modern processes
of globalization, learn and improve many technologies of Western countries and
rise to a higher level of economic and political development, but also to
preserve their identity, language and culture. Thus our main task is to use their
historical experience in order to develop and improve our Kazakhstan, find its
rightful place in the world community.

List of References

1. Message of the
President of Kazakhstan in 2014 Kazakhstan's Way - 2050: The overarching goal,
common interests, common future. - Www.akorda.kz/ru